Helmets with laterally moveable visors are known in the art. In these helmets one or more visors are inserted into guides within the helmet, allowing for sideways movement in and out of a facial area. When not in the facial area, visors are stored in retracted positions within the helmet. Movement is accomplished by gripping tabs that are attached to the visors. In an embodiment with two visors, the wearer is able to switch visors simultaneously merely by moving one visor into the facial area while moving another out of the facial area and into the retracted position. This allows the wearer to switch from a clear to tinted visor, for example, while keeping the facial area covered. Unlike pivoted vertically raised visors, laterally moveable visors have the advantage of minimizing the risk of neck fatigue. When a pivoted vertically moving visor is raised while riding, the lower edge of the visor contacts the wind to create a change in the wind force. Because the wind force on laterally moveable visors remains substantially constant when visors are changed, there is a reduced chance that fatigue to neck muscles will occur. A further advantage of laterally moveable visors is the protection that the helmet gives to the visors when they occupy their retracted positions within the helmet.
Helmets with laterally moveable visors such as described above are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,477,566 to Massman, French Patent 2,281,733; French Patent 2,339,353, U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,619, and German Patent No. 7,602,572. In the Massman patent, the visors that move in and out of the facial area are known as straight visors, because they form a rectangular shape when laid out flat. To fit within the contours of the helmet, the visors are curved to form part of a generally cylindrical surface, where the longer edges of the rectangular visor form the top and bottom edges of this generally cylindrical surface. The dimensions of the visor are such that the visor can provide substantial coverage to the facial area. The visors move on upper and lower guides, which, because of the use of straight visors, define a generally cylindrical track that extends substantially around the helmet. At the front-center of the helmet, there is a nonzero rake angle between the vertical and the inclined surface of a visor positioned in the facial area. Thus, there is a tendency for the lower guides of the generally cylindrical track, and therefore the retracted visors, to be located near or below the bottom of the helmet in the back of the neck.
A further problem of helmets with laterally moveable visors involves the removal of the visors from the helmet. In the Massman patent, visor removal is accomplished by incorporating the visors and the guides into a visor cartridge. Then, after removing the entire cartridge from the helmet the visors themselves can be removed from the cartridge. This mechanism for visor removal has the disadvantage of requiring replacement of both visors even if one is still good, unless the visors are sold separately. In addition, this mechanism for visor removal is time-consuming and cumbersome.
Consequently, what is needed in the art is a helmet with laterally moveable visors, where the visors do not extend near the bottom rear portion of the helmet when they occupy their retracted positions. Also, it would be an improvement in the art to provide a mechanism in which visors can be easily removed from the helmet.